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BA/BA (Hons) International Hospitality and Tourism Management

Want to be a leader in a fascinating and fast-growing global industry? On this course you’ll learn the business management skills that the best employers in international hospitality and tourism are looking for. You’ll enjoy close support and supervision from our staff and will gain practical experience on a 20-week internship in the UK or abroad.

The hospitality and tourism sector is worth £4.2 billion to the Scottish economy alone, and that figure is growing fast. As a graduate of our international hospitality and tourism management degree you will be at the forefront of these exciting industries. You’ll gain a thorough theoretical understanding of the political, economic and social factors at work in the industry – and what they will mean for you as a manager of the future.

See the foot of the page for some student case studies/ staff profiles

Why QMU?

The course, in partnership with Dakota Hotels, has a unique Student Experience Fund that helps pay for a range of extra-curricular student activities across the four-year course. Enjoy lunch in a Michelin star restaurant, trips to a range of visitor attractions and even taste the produce on a brewery and distillery tour as part of your studies at QMU.

Our classes are small compared with some other universities, so you will enjoy more personal engagement with lecturers. We will know you by name and help manage your learning from your first lecture to graduation.

More people visit Edinburgh than any other UK city after London, and you will study on a campus that is six minutes from the centre of town. It’s the perfect place to learn your tourism and hospitality management trade.

90% of our graduates are in employment or further training after six months* and many are making names for themselves in highly respected hospitality and tourism businesses, in the UK and across the world, including DisneyWorld, Hilton, Thomas Cook, Malmaison, VisitScotland and Gleneagles.

*Source: Unistats 2018

About the course

The hospitality and tourism sector is worth £4.2 billion to the Scottish economy alone, and that figure is growing fast. As a graduate of our international hospitality and tourism management degree you will be at the forefront of these exciting industries. You’ll gain a thorough theoretical understanding of the political, economic and social factors at work in the industry – and what they will mean for you as a manager of the future.

You’ll learn hands-on how to manage money, resources and talent in a fast-moving hospitality and tourism environment. When you go on your first year placement in a 5-star hotel you are going to observe the best-trained managers in the business. Food continues to be a cornerstone of the hospitality industry. You’ll be working with a range of food professionals, creating menus, learning about food and, importantly, how you put profit on a plate.

As a manager of the future you also need to appreciate the wider strategic picture, and the course develops understanding of the political, economic and social forces driving the hospitality and tourism industry forward.

In Year One you’ll study a broad range of modules that will enable you to not only learn a wide range of tourism theories and concepts, but also practical skills including food service and preparation and group leadership. Your theoretical knowledge will be enhanced by time spent observing and engaging with management at work in one of the best hospitality businesses in the world.

In Year Two you’ll focus on management skills, both in theory and the real world. We’ll help you prepare for a challenging and rewarding 20-week internship in the UK or overseas.

In Year Three you’ll deepen your understanding of a range of management techniques and how they will help you run a successful business; from building a start-up company to designing a hospitality or tourism space, the IHTM degree covers it all.

What are the biggest challenges that hospitality and tourism managers face today? How do you successfully lead people in a highly competitive sector? In Year Four, you’ll learn to understand wider strategic issues and will develop your ideas into a dissertation or business project in an area that you’re passionate about. You’ll have the flexibility and support you need to tailor your final year at QMU to progress to the next stages of your career, be that hospitality, tourism or academia.

At QMU we have a strong commitment to both social justice and the environment. The academic team believe passionately that business can make good profits, maintain a focus on the people they serve and play a positive role in the future of our environment. This ethos is woven throughout the IHTM degree and the team believe that this approach leaves our graduates in a very strong position to manage businesses in the future.

Structure

Structure

You can choose to study an honours degree over four years or an ordinary degree over three.

The modules listed here are correct at time of posting (Feb 2019) but may differ slightly to those offered in 2020. Please check the website for any updates.

Placement/ Internship

You will complete a 20-week internship in Year Two, either in the UK or overseas. Our tutors will help you prepare for this invaluable real-world experience and we’ll set up interviews on campus to make finding the perfect host organisation as straightforward as possible. Several bursaries are available to help with costs.

Please note that exchange opportunities are subject to availability. In addition, please note that where exchange opportunities are arranged in the EU, Erasmus+ funding is available subject to the UK remaining in the Erasmus+ scheme.

Entry requirements

Scottish Higher: Standard BBBC, Minimum BCCC

A Level: BCC

Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H3 H3 H3

International Baccalaureate: 28 points

International: IELTS of 6.0 with no element lower than 5.5

Required subjects: Maths and English at Nat 5/GCSE level are preferred

Mature/Access: Related Access course – see our website at www.qmu.ac.uk/college-qualifications. We welcome applications from mature students with relevant qualifications or experience.

Careers

Whether you want to work for a major global hotel brand in Dubai, manage the success of a tourism business in Scotland or launch a start-up that will change the way the industry works, this course will give you the competence and confidence to take the challenge on. The future of hospitality and tourism is going to be how you shape it.